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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27136036">Walk Home</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/RittaPokie/pseuds/RittaPokie'>RittaPokie</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Critical Role (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dialogue Heavy, M/M, and that's about it, it's the m9 teasing caleb and essek about liking each other, this is kind of a crack fic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 06:41:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,243</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27136036</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/RittaPokie/pseuds/RittaPokie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>i write this for instant serotonin</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>62</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Walk Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I still think Caleb needs to get laid,” Veth says.</p><p>The table comes to a dead silence after Essek splutters a bit into his drink. Caleb’s face quirks into confusion. They had been talking about their trials and tribulations with mental health. He isn’t sure how the subject changed so fast.</p><p>“What?” She asks indignantly. “It’s been like twenty years.”</p><p>“It has not been twenty years,” Caleb argues, rolling his eyes.</p><p>“Alright, ten,” she relents. “But that’s still too long.”</p><p>“No,” Caleb sighs. “It hasn’t-“</p><p>“Well I mean,” Beau gestures, her fork still in her hand. “It’s been at least one year. We’ve all been together that long, and I haven’t seen you with anybody.”</p><p>“To be fair, Beau,” Jester says, “only you and Veth have been with anybody recently. Veth gets laid pretty often.”</p><p>“Well she’s married,” Beau says. “She doesn’t have to go through that awkward part of “ohhh do you wanna fuck me or” so.”</p><p>“I’ve been with someone since we’ve been a group,” Fjord says.</p><p>“Oh, right, Avantika,” Jester says. “Gosh, that’s been a while too.”</p><p>“How do you ever get anyone to have sex with you, Beauregard?” Caleb asks.</p><p>“I’m paraphrasing,” she says.</p><p>“She just sort of flexes her arms and winks,” Yasha says. “You can do that, when you’ve got muscles.”</p><p>“Beau is really good at making her muscles look bigger,” Jester says. “It’s impressive.”</p><p>“So, Caleb,” Beau says, changing the subject off of herself. “How long are we talkin’ here?”</p><p>“I- well, eh…” his brow furrows and his eyes scatter as he tries to think in specifics.</p><p>“Oh wow, yeah,” Beau says.</p><p>“Yeah, the fact that you had to think about it…” Fjord agrees.</p><p>“Maybe it wouldn’t be this way if Beau hadn’t followed Caleb to Essek’s house,” Veth says.</p><p>Essek, who had been quietly blushing into his cup, puts his hand up, shaking it. “No, no, don’t bring me into this.”</p><p>“Yeah, Beau,” Jester agrees, ignoring the drow. “You’re a cockblock!”</p><p>“I’m… I’m right here,” Essek says.</p><p>“So is Caleb,” Veth says, and then she looks back to Beau and Jester. “He didn’t even invite you, he invited Caleb-“</p><p>“Why is it suddenly my fault that Caleb hasn’t gotten laid in a decade?” Beau asks, genuinely offended. “He had nine whole years before he met me!”</p><p>“Three years,” Caleb says. “Or just under, rather.”</p><p>“That’s not that bad,” Fjord says.</p><p>“It’s fucking terrible,” Veth says. “Listen, I’ve been dry for that long, and it sucks.”</p><p>“Essek do you want to have sex with Caleb?” Jester asks.</p><p>“Jester.” Caleb says. Essek’s face is in his hands, and he is shaking his head.</p><p>“Is that a no?” She asks. “Or are you just embarrassed?”</p><p>“He’s embarrassed,” Caduceus says. He had been watching this entire conversation with idle amusement.</p><p>“But is he just embarrassed?” Jester asked.</p><p>“Alright, I think that is enough for tonight,” Essek says. “Dinner was lovely, thank you-“</p><p>“Caleb,” Veth whispers from his side, “walk him home.”</p><p>“I am not sure that would-“</p><p>“Yeah, Cayleb!” Jester agrees. “You know, even if you don’t have sex with him, you two should hang out more. And talk about your magic stuff.”</p><p>“Eh, I…” he sighs, and relents. He knows he won’t hear the end of it if he doesn’t.</p><p>“Essek,” Caleb calls after him, “Essek.” He catches him just as the chimes on the door ring.</p><p>“Yes?”</p><p>“I have to walk you home,” he says, “otherwise, I will not be allowed to rest.”</p><p>Essek nods, and lets Caleb follow him.</p><p>If they weren’t both embarrassed, it might be a pleasant walk. The night is calm, and only a little cool. </p><p>“Thank you,” Essek says as they approach his estate. “For… everything.”</p><p>“Oh,” Caleb says. “Ja, of course. You know, we are similar, you and I.”</p><p>“Quite,” Essek agrees. The gate to his courtyard groans as it opens.</p><p>Caleb gives him a polite nod and starts to turn and walk away, back towards his own home.</p><p>“Wait, Caleb,” he says, and then falters when Caleb’s eyes meet his again. “Would you like to come in?</p><p>“Are you offering me a nightcap, my friend?” Caleb asks, a wry smile on his face. </p><p>Essek scoffs, a soft laugh. “It might be… funny,” he says, “if you were kept away longer than expected.”</p><p>“It would be my pleasure,” Caleb says. Essek ushers him in and the gate shuts behind them.</p><p>Once inside, Essek opens a bottle of wine - one had already been shared in the Xhorhaus, but it was nothing of the caliber Essek offers. Rather than bother with glasses, they pass the bottle back and forth for an hour.</p><p>Neither of them talks, just enjoying companionable silence. Essek has his feet up on the table, ankles crossed. His face is relaxed as he stares blankly ahead.</p><p>Caleb sighs, rolling his shoulders and props his feet up as well. Essek chuckles beside him. “Rough day?”</p><p>“More like a year,” Caleb admits, “or a life.”</p><p>“What did the Assembly do,” Essek asks, shaking his head, his brow drawn in confusion. “What makes your friends want to kill them all on sight?”</p><p>“Well,” Caleb says, and he shrugs his coat off. He slowly folds one sleeve up, and then another. Essek notices about halfway through the first.</p><p>“What…”</p><p>“You would probably find it fascinating, what they were doing,” Caleb says, and Essek’s face twitches, like he might be hurt from that. “I cannot lie and say that I do not find it fascinating.”</p><p>“Trent Ikithon thinks that he awakens people,” Caleb says, “but he breaks them. He broke me-“</p><p>“You don’t look broken to me,” Essek says.</p><p>Caleb hums. “Ja, not so much anymore,” he says, “but I was a shell of a man. Being with the Mighty Nein… it brings out the person that you should have been.”</p><p>“You speak of timelines, in dunamancy,” Caleb says. “It is never too late to choose a different path.”</p><p>Essek is quiet for a moment. “I hope you are right, friend.”</p><p>“But you did not invite me here to tell you my sob story,” Caleb says. “You invited me here to play a trick on the Mighty Nein, ja?”</p><p>“Yes, I did,” he says. “I’m not sure how believable it will be though.”</p><p>“I could forget my coat here, or a sock, perhaps,” Caleb says. “You could suck a hickey onto my neck or- like I said, I could leave something here.”</p><p>Essek splutters, “What… What was that last one?”</p><p>“I could leave something behind-“</p><p>“No, no, just before that,” Essek says.</p><p>“Oh,” Caleb says, almost like he, himself, just registered what he said. “Well, it is an option. It does not have to lead to anything else, of course.”</p><p>“Just a normal thing between friends,” Essek says with a chuckle.</p><p>“Eh, no, not really- well,” Caleb says, “maybe, in my experience, but my relationships have always been a little… irregular.”</p><p>“You kiss all of your friends?”</p><p>Caleb thinks a moment. “I, ehmm… not all.”</p><p>Caleb notices that Essek has moved closer to him on the sofa by a margin. The redhead shakes his head and runs his fingers through his hair.</p><p>“Scheiße… I think that I… am drunk, Essek,” Caleb says. Essek’s eyes are soft on him, so he pats his shoulder. “I think you are, too.”</p><p>Essek nods, and he smiles, but it’s strained. “Caleb,” he says, but trails off of whatever he intended to say. “Goodnight.”</p><p>“Gute nacht,” Caleb says in return.</p>
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